Snapbolt lock



Ja. 8, 1963 w. E. ATKINSON SNAPBOLT LOCK Filed June 23, 1961 iig* ATTORNEYS V"United States Patent tiliceV 3,071,956 Patented Jan. 8, 19$3 3,071,956 SNAPBOLT LOCK Wallace E. Atkinson, Petersburg, Va., assigner to Long Manufacturing Company, Inc., Petersburg, Va., a corporation of Virginia Filed June 23, 1961, Ser. No. 119,134 Ciaims. (Cl. 70--75) The present invention relates in general to snapbolt locks for luggage, trunks, dispatch cases and like containers, and more particularly to snapbolt locks having a shackle pivotally supported on one section of a suitcase, and a keeper unit attached to the other section of the suitcase having a raised post portion adapted to be encircled by the shackle to restrain the two suitcase sections in closed position.

Heretofore, snapbolt assemblies of the class to which the present invention relates as customarily constructed, have included a keeper unit having a raised post formation to be secured to the front of the lower section or bottom of luggage adjacent the plane of separation between the bottom and a hinged cover section, and a hasp unit secured to the front of the hinged cover section havinU a generally box-shaped raised spring housing which projects outwardly from the front of the luggage cover and encases a spring and a pivot-forming portion of a loop-shaped or U-shaped shackle hasp adapted to encircle three sides of the raised post formation on the keeper unit when the shackle is in latching position. The side legs of the shackle are usually pivotally hinged to the raised spring housing of the hasp unit by means of trunnions located near the upper ends of the legs and projected inwardly into accommodating recesses in the raised spring housing. The. bridge or cross-piece at the end of the U-shaped hasp remote from the trunnions is spaced sufciently from the adjacent end or bottom of the raised spring housing to deine an eye for the reception of the keeper post formation. When such snapbolt assemblies are provided with a key lock, the lock works are usually provided in the raised post formation of the keeper unit and include a reciprocative bolt which may be projected into an accommodating opening in a staple projecting inwardly from the shackle to restrain the shackle in closed position. Such prior art snapbolt lock constructions require substantial labor in the assembly of the shackle biasing spring and shackle trunnions in the raised spring housing and the lock works in the raised keeper post formation. Usually the spring housing and keeper post are produced as separate housing substructures into which the biasing spring, shackle trunnions and lock works are inserted and these subassemblies are subsequently assembled onto mounting plates which form the backs of the spring and lock housings.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel snapbolt lock construction having a movable shackle wherein the number of separate components to be assembled in the manufacture of the snapbolt lock andV the materials and labor required are substantially reduced.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel snapbolt lock construction having a raised spring housing and a resiliently biased shackle hinged thereto shiftable to a closed position in encircling relation to a raised keeper post, wherein a simple lock subassembly is provided on a post-encircling portion of the shackle.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel snapbolt lock construction having a pivoted shackle adjustable to a closed position wherein a cross leg remote from the shackle axis and adjacent portions of the shackle encircle a raised keeper post, and a lock unit of simple construction having only two pieces is supported on the cross leg of the shackle.

Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following y detail description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a snapbolt lock constructed in accordance with the present invention, shown in mounted position on fragmentary portions of a suitcase;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the snapbolt lock;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section view thereof taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the hasp unit with portions of the backing plate for the lock unit broken away; and

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section view taken along the line 5*-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the separate figures, the snapbolt lock assembly of the present invention, indicated generally by the reference character 1t), comprises a keeper unit 11 stamped from sheet metal which includes a front wall i3 and peripheral, inwardly directed flanges 14 to space the front wall 13 appropriately from the front of the associated lower suitcase section 15 and give an attractive massive appearance to the keeper unit. A raised keeper post 16 is formed from an integral extension of the front wall i3 curved along a U- shaped path to provide bottom and top walls 17, 18 respectively, the post extension terminating in an upwardly projecting alignment tongue 19.

The hasp unit, generally designated by the reference character 21, is designed to be mounted on the hinged cover or lid Ztl of the suitcase, and comprises a raised, box-like spring housing portion 22 stamped from sheet metal and having a generally rectangular configuration including sides 23 and a bottom 24. A pair of oppositely projecting mounting panel portions 25 and 26 extend oppositely in a substantially common plane frornthe sides Z3 of the housing portien and include front Walls 27 and peripheral, inwardly projecting tlanges 2S. The bottom 24- of the raised housing portion 22 includes a recess 29 of a suitable size to receive the keeper post tongue 19 and the upper ends of the sides 23 are recessed or cut away as indicated at 36 to form hinge recesses for the hinge joint with the shackle 3l.

The shackle 33t in the preferred embodiment herein illustrated is in the form of a closed, rectangular loop generally resembling a buckle and includes vertical side legs 32, 33 spaced apart a sufcient distance to accominodate the raised housing portion 22 therebetween, a bottom cross-piece or keeper-engaging bar 34 spanning between the lower ends of the side legs 32, 33 and a top bar 35 parallelling the bottom bar 34 and connecting the upper ends of the legs 32, 33. The outer peripheries of the legs 32, 33 and the lower periphery of the bottom bar 34 are provided with inwardly directed ilanges 32', 33' and 34 to give an appearance of massiveness to the shackle which is stamped from thin sheet metal. The top bar 35, however, is of simple rectangular cross-section having considerably greater width in the general plane of the shackle than thickness to form a hinge bar for the shackle.

The raised body portion also includes a bendable tongue or extension 36 which in the original stamping extends upwardly from the top edge of the front wall 37 of the raised housing portion 22 and may be of substantially the width of the front wall 37 over at least the immediately adjoining portion of the extension. This bendable tongue 36 serves as the top wall of the raised housing portion 22 in the assembled structure to retain the shackle 31 in assembled condition and additionally extends down at least a portion of the back of the chamber dened with the raised housing portion to maintain the other components in assembled relation.

The hasp unit is assembled by simply passing the eye 38 of the shackle 31 over the tongue 36 and fitting the top bar portion 35 of the hasp 31 into the recesses 3i) provided at the upper ends of the side walls 23. A recurved leaf spring 39 is then seated in the chamber provided by the raised housing portion 22 and the bendable tongue 36 is folded rearwardly over the top of the top bar 3S of the shackle and downwardly behind the leaf spring 39 to secure the leaf spring between the tongue 36 and front wall 37. The leaf spring 39 has a front leg 49 terminating in a lip 41 to bear against the rear of and lap over the top bar 35 of the shackle 31 and a rear leg 42 joined to the front leg by the downwardly disposed bight 43 resting against the bottom wall 24 of the raised spring housing portion 22. Due to the greater width of the top shackle bar 35 relative to its thickness, the front leg 46 of the leaf spring 39 will be forced rearwardly as the shackle is pivoted outwardly and upwardly from its closed or catch position until the bar 35 passes beyond perpendicular relation to the front face of the raised housing portion 22, whereupon the leaf spring 39 will urge the shackle to the fully open or release position indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 3. When the shackle 3l is below the perpendicular or center position in its opening r closing arc, the leaf spring will resiliently bias the shackle to fully closed position wherein the eye 38 will pass over the keeper post f6 and the lower bar 34 extending below the keeper post will retain the keeper and hasp units against movement away from each other.

Both the keeper and hasp units are to be affixed to the associated base and lid of the suitcase by Suitable fastening means such as the screws 44.

The lock mechanism for this snapbolt lock, indicated generally at 4:7, is carried by the bottom bar 34 of the shackle 31 and consists simply of the disc-like bolt 46 supported for rotation about its central axis in the circular Way 47 pressed in the backing plate 43 and shaped to complement the bolt 46. The backing plate 48 is a stamped rectangular piece of sheet material having a rear wall 49 and upper and lower franges Si), Sti approximating the depth of the inwardly directed flanges 32', 33' of the shackle legs 32, 33, the backing plate 48 being sized to nest snugly within the inwardly opening chamber defined by the bottom bar 34 and the marginal anges of the shackle 31. The bolt 46 is in the shape of a truncated disc cut along a chord so that the flat Si; lies flush with the upper ange 50 and the upper edge of the bottom bar 34 when the bolt 46 is in unlocking position. The bolt 46 has one or more indentations or sockets 52 in the rear face thereof to register with a restraining detent or detents 53 in the rear wall 49 at the unlocking position and at a locking position spaced 180 from the unlocking position wherein a segment of the bolt 46 projects above the flange t). The bottom wall 17 of the keeper post i6 is provided with a recess for receiving a peripheral portion of the bolt 46 projecting above the flange S when the bolt is rotated to locking position to retain the shackle 31 against pivotal movement away from the keeper unit 1i. The front wall of the shackle bottom bar 34, the rear wall 49 of the backing plate 4S, and the rotary bolt 46 have the usual types of openings therein to receive portions of a key and permit rotation of the bolt 46 about its axis responsive to turning of the key. The lock mechanism 45 is simply assembled in the snapbolt lock by locating the bolt 46 and backing plate 48 in proper alignment with the shackle behind the bottom bar 34 and bending the retaining tabs 54 extending from the side flanges 32', 33 against the backing plate 48.

By this construction, a snapbolt lock assembly is provided having marked properties of simplicity and economy both in production of the individual parts making up the lock and in the labor and time involved in assembly. The novel lock bolt and housing construction is far easier and less expensive to fabricate and assemble with the shackle without detracting from the effectiveness or durability of the lock, and the number of parts is reduced by having the shackle serve as a part of the lock housing as well as perform its normal restraining functions in cooperation with the keeper post.

While but one preferred example of the present invention has been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that various modifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A snapbolt lock assembly for holding together mating container sections comprising a keeper member adapted to be affixed to one of said sections having a raised keeper post, a hasp assembly adapted to be ixed to the other of said sections to be selectively interlocked with said keeper post, said hasp assembly comprising a base and a sheet metal shackle member pivotally mounted at one end on said base for angular movement between catch and release positions about a substantially stationary axis, said shackle member having an eye bounded on three sides by shackle portions for accommodating said keeper post and including a free end portion to be disposed in latching relation about a portion of said keeper post when said shackle member is in catch position, a lock backing plate carried by said free end portion of said shackle member in spaced underlying relation thereto, a rotatable key lock bolt member having an irreguiar periphery including a flat along one peripheral portion thereof interposed between said backing plate and free end portion and supported for rotation about a medial axis between an unlocking position wherein said Hat is substantially aligned with a boundary of said eye and a locking position wherein a portion of said bolt member projects into said eye, and said keeper post having an opening for accommodating the projecting portion of said bolt member when the bolt member is in locking position and restraining said shackle member against displacement from said catch position.

2. A snapbolt lock assembly for holding together mating container sections comprising a keeper member adapted to be afixed to one of said sections having a raised keeper post, a hasp assembly adapted to be xed to the other of said sections to be selectively interlocked with said keeper post, said hasp assembly comprising a base and a sheet metal shackle member pivotally mounted at one end on said base for angular movement between catch and release positions about a substantially stationary axis, said shackle member having an eye bounded on three sides by shackle portions for accommodating said keeper post and including a free end portion to be disposed in latching relation about a portion of said keeper post when said shackle member is in catch position, a lock backing plate carried by said free end portion of said shackle member in spaced underlying relation thereto, a key lock bolt member in the form of a truncated disc having a at along one peripheral portion thereof interposed between said backing plate and free end portion and supported for rotation about a medial axis between an unlocking position wherein said at is substantially aligned with a boundary of said eye and a locking position wherein a peripheral segment of said disc projects into said eye, and said keeper post having an opening for accommodating the projecting peripheral segment of said disc when the disc is in locking position and restraining said shackle member against displacement from said catch position.

3. A snapbolt lock assembly for holding together mating container sections comprising a keeper memberl adapted to be affixed to one of said sections having a raised keeper post, a hasp assembly adapted to be fixed to the other of said sections to be selectively interlocked with said keeper post, said hasp assenibly comprising a sheet metal mounting member including a raised spring housing, a sheet metal shackle member including a pivoted end journaled in said spring housing for angular movement between catch and release positions about a substantially stationary' axis and a generally U-shaped loop portion located externally of said spring housing having an eye bounded on three sides by said loop portion for accommodating said keeper post, said U-shaped loop portion including a cross bar end member remote from and generally parallelling said axis to extend in latching relation about a portion of said keeper post remote from said spring housing when said shackle member is in catch position, a spring seated within said spring housing to engage and resiliently restrain said shackle member in catch position, a lock backing plate substantially co-extensive with a major portion of said cross bar end member and carried by the latter in spaced underlying relation thereto co-acting with said cross bar end member to form lock bolt housing members, a key lock bolt member in the form of a truncated disc having a flat along one peripheral portion thereof interposed between said bolt housing members, at least one of'said lock bolt housing members including means for supporting said disc for rotation about its center between an unlocking position said disc for rotation about its center between an unlocking position wherein said flat is substantially aligned with a boundary of said eye and a locking position wherein a peripheral segment of said disc projects into said eye, and said keeper post having an opening aligned with said disc when said shackle member occupies said catch position for accommodating the projecting peripheral segment of said disc when the disc is in locking position and restraining said shackle member against displacement from said catch position.

4. A snapbolt lock assembly for holding together mating container sections comprising a keeper member adapted to be affixed to one of said sections having a raised keeper post, a hasp assembly adapted to be fixed to the other of said sections to be selectively interlocked with said keeper post, said hasp assembly comprising a sheet metal mounting member including a raised spring housing, a sheet metal shackle member including a pivoted end journaled in said spring housing for angular movement between catch and release positions about a substantially stationary axis and a generally U-shaped loop portion located externally of said spring housing having an eye bounded on three sides by said loop portion for accommodating said keeper post, said U-shaped loop portion including a cross bar end member remote from and generally parallelling said axis to extend in latching relation about a portion of said keeper post remote from said spring housing when said shackle member is in catch position, a spring seated within said spring housing to engage and resiliently restrain said shackle member in catch position, a lock backing plate substantially coextensive with a major portion of said cross bar end member and carried by the latter in spaced underlying relation thereto co-acting with said cross bar end member to form lock bolt housing members, a key lock bolt member in the form of a truncated disc having a ilat along one peripheral portion thereof interposed between said bolt housing members, said backing plate having a generally circular recess therein conforming substantially to the arcuate peripheral part of said disc for supporting said disc for rotation about its center between an unlocking position wherein said flat is substantially aligned with a boundary of said eye and a locking position wherein a peripheral segment of said disc projects into said eye, said keeper post having an opening aligned with said disc when said shackle member occupies said catch position for accommodating the projecting peripheral segment of said disc when the disc is in locking position and restraining said shackle member against displacement from said catch position, and said shackle member and disc having keyway means for receiving a key to adjust said disc to said locking and unlocking positions responsive to rotation of the key.

5. A snapbolt lock assembly for holding together mating container sections comprising a keeper member adapted to be aiiixed to one of said sections having a raised keeper post, a hasp assembly adapted to be fixed to the other of said sections to be selectively interlocked with said keeper post, said hasp assembly comprising a sheet metal mounting member including a raised boxlike body portion having a front wall, a bottom wall, and side walls dening a rearwardly opening spring housing chamber, a sheet metal shackle member pivotally supported along a horizontal hinge axis of said raised body portion having spaced legs extending from said hinge axis joined at their free ends remote from said hinge axis by 'an integral bridge portion generally parallelling said hinge axis, said shackle member being -swingable to a position wherein said body portion, said legs and said bridge jointly -frame said keeper post when the latter is near said body portion, said shackle member including a bar integrally joined with the hinged ends of said legs forming a closed loop therewith, said side walls of said raised body portion having recesses -for pivotally receiving said bar, a spring seated within said spring housing cham-ber and `bearing against said bar to resiliently restrain said shackle lmember in catch position relative to said keeper post, a lock backing plate substantially co-extensive with said bridge portion carried by the latter in spaced underlying relation thereto co-acting with said bridge portion to form lock bolt housing members, a key lock bolt member in the form of a truncated disc having a at along one peripheral portion thereof interposed between said bolt housing members, said backing member having a generally circular recess therein conforming substantially to the arcuate peripheral part of said disc supporting said disc for rotation about its center between an unlocking position wherein said flat is substantially aligned with a bounding edge of said bridge portion adjacent the keeper post and a locking position wherein a peripheral segment of said disc projects externally of said bounding edge, said keeper post having an opening aligned with said disc when said shackle lmember occupies said catch position for accommodating the projecting peripheral segment of said disc and restraining the shackle member against displacementfrom said catch position, and keyway means in said bridge portion and said disc for receiving a key bit and including bounding surfaces on said disc coactive with portions of the key bit to shift the disc to said locking and unlocking positions responsive to rotation of a key.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fillya Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No., 3O7l95 January 8,

Wallace E., Atkinson It is hereby certified that ez'ior appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected belo` Column 5 lines 28 and 29, strike out "'said disc fol(l rotation about its center between an unlocking position"' Signed and sealed this 7th day of April 1964o (SEAL) AttSt Y EDWARD J BRENNER ERNEST W SWIDER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

2. A SNAPBOLT LOCK ASSEMBLY FOR HOLDING TOGETHER MATING CONTAINER SECTIONS COMPRISING A KEEPER MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE AFFIXED TO ONE OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING A RAISED KEEPER POST, A HASP ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE FIXED TO THE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS TO BE SELECTIVELY INTERLOCKED WITH SAID KEEPER POST, SAID HASP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BASE AND A SHEET METAL SHACKLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END ON SAID BASE FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT BETWEEN CATCH AND RELEASE POSITIONS ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY STATIONARY AXIS, SAID SHACKLE MEMBER HAVING AN EYE BOUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY SHACKLE PORTIONS FOR ACCOMMODATING SAID KEEPER POST AND INCLUDING A FREE END PORTION TO BE DISPOSED IN LATCHING RELATION ABOUT A PORTION OF SAID KEEPER POST WHEN SAID SHACKLE MEMBER IS IN CATCH POSITION, A LOCK BACKING PLATE CARRIED BY SAID FREE END PORTION OF SAID SHACKLE MEMBER IN SPACED UNDERLYING RELATION THERETO, A KEY LOCK BOLT MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A TRUNCATED DISC HAVING A FLAT ALONG ONE PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BACKING PLATE AND FREE END PORTION AND SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A MEDIAL AXIS BETWEEN AN UNLOCKING POSITION WHEREIN SAID FLAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH A BOUNDARY OF SAID EYE AND A LOCKING POSITION WHEREIN A PERIPHERAL SEGMENT OF SAID DISC PROJECTS INTO SAID EYE, AND SAID KEEPER POST HAVING AN OPENING FOR ACCOMMODATING THE PROJECTING PERIPHERAL SEGMENT OF SAID DISC WHEN THE DISC IS IN LOCKING POSITION AND RESTRAINING SAID SHACKLE MEMBER AGAINST DISPLACEMENT FROM SAID CATCH POSITION. 